The 15th Annual Rose City Yarn Crawl was held March 7th-10th this year in 2024. The Rose City Yarn Crawl is "an annual Portland experience, the Rose City Yarn Crawl is a four-day event for fiber enthusiasts" - knitters, crocheters, spinners, weavers, and felters. This year the crawl featured eight shops that participated. Within each of these lovely shops they have gorgeous yarn, knitting and crochet notions, needles, handmade wares, books, bags, patterns, and other enchanting things. Once open, visitors use a passport that gets stamped at each of the yarn crawl destinations you visit for a chance to win prizes. With each purchase you make in the shops you will get access to a Ravelry download code for that shop's free pattern. In addition each kit purchased for the patterns gives 10% of the sale to the shop's selected charity.
If you cannot participate in person, you may instead participate in the Rose City Yarn Crawl online and crawl virtually. This is how I participated this year because of time and travel constraints. You can instead download and print the passport and look for the code words on each shop's website then record them on your passport. After you are done shopping and crawling, then you go back to the Rose City Yarn Crawl website and enter them into the virtual passport entry form. After you do this you will be entered to win a prize exclusive to virtual crawlers.
Rose City Yarn Crawl Participating Shops
I bought some things from three of the 8 shops during the crawl: Weird Sisters, Starlight Knitting Society, and Knotty Lamb. I really wanted to buy from more shops, but I unfortunately had a budget that I was following. I received my package from Weird Sisters first on March 15th. I purchased the Wild Witchcraft book by Rebecca Beyer because of all the lovely folk herbalism, gardening, and foraging information in it. It also has recipes for tinctures, teas, salves, etc. Some very pretty full color pages of herbs and plants as well. I love the wood burned stitch markers, too. They have a mushroom 🍄, books 📚, and butterfly 🦋, as well as the St. Johns Bridge 🌉 and their logo. They threw in a pin, sticker of a cool spider in her web knitting, and a bookmark. On March 16th I received both packages from Starlight Knitting Society and Knotty Lamb. From Starlight Knitting Society I purchased the Starlit Owl cross stitch kit by Junebug and Darlin and a lovely enamel pin with bleeding hearts, knitting needles and yarn on it made by Kitty with a Cupcake. The package from Knotty Lamb contained three different sized Crystal Palace Yarns bamboo circular needles and some very cute llama washi tape. They threw in a lovely butterfly button too. All stores I purchased from gave me two awesome downloadable patterns each for free as well (one knitting and one crochet each).
Rose City Yarn Crawl Purchases.
Follow the Rose City Yarn Crawl on Facebook and Instagram and mark your calendar for next year's yarn crawl on March 6-9, 2025. I will be participating in the Rose City Yarn Crawl next year, hopefully in person this time. Maybe I will see you there. Give me a shout if you are also going or just leave a comment on this post telling me what fiber arts you enjoy doing and what projects, if any, you have been working on.
Since October 14th of last year The Portland Art Museum has been showcasing the awe inspiring art of stop-motion animation in their Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA exhibit. This exhibit will close on the 20th of May and, in my opinion, should not be missed.
LAIKA Studios is an animation studio that has become a local fixture of Portland Oregon since 2005. They are not just any animation studio, however. They use stop-motion animation, a technique where the animator has to physically manipulate the object so it appears to move on its own. You might have seen one of their 4 award-winning films: Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The BoxTrolls (2014), or Kubo and the Two Strings (2016). Just by watching you don't feel of the real scope of these movies, but the characters are brought to life by animators painstakingly moving them 24 times for every second of screen time. The Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA exhibit gives you an up close and first hand look at the meticulous artistry that goes into each one of their films. Visitors to this exhibit are immersed in LAIKA's wonderful imaginative world. Museum-goers get to explore production design, sets, props, puppets, costumes, and world-building that have become the studio’s hallmarks.
Here is a sneak peek at what is in store for you if you go...
My son, Jaedan, and I went to the Portland Art Museum on April 27th. We started the day out at Voodoo Doughnut. I had a Mango Tango and my son had an Apple Fritter. Then we went out to lunch at some of the food trucks in the Pearl District. Jaedan had seafood curry noodles and I had a Gyro. We just couldn't visit Portland and not partake in these delectable treats. Going to Voodoo Doughnut and eating from food carts is part of the experience of the of the City of Roses.
Eating Voodoo Doughnuts and Food Cart Food are a must while in Portland.
After our meals we headed towards the Portland Art Museum (PAM). As we had never been there before we tried to partake of what all the museum had to offer before diving into the LAIKA exhibit. We looked around first at the art that was part of the permanent and private collections. Of the Museum’s collection of 42,000 objects, we saw only a representative few, of which my favorites were: Isa Genzken's Two Orchids, Claude Monet Nymphéas (Waterlilies), Nude in Sunlit Wood by Childe Hassam, Joseph M. Raphael's Cottage Garden, Uccle, Belgium; Gabriele Münter's In The Village Chamonix, Frank Stella's Newell's Hawaiian Shearwater (Exotic Bird), Sonya Clark's Penny Loafers, and Dale Chihuly's L'arbre rouge.
Just some of the lovely art we saw at the PAM.
Then we headed to the exhibit we had been anticipating all day. When you go through the doors to the Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA exhibit you are automatically drawn to a towering skeleton puppet looming over the room. This was used for the film Kubo and the Two Strings. This piece is over 18 feet tall and the largest stop-motion puppet ever made. It is jaw dropping with its impressive lighting and glowing eyes to make it look even more menacing. It was fun to learn that LAIKA's studio is too small to house this giant beast all put together and they had to film it in two pieces: legs and torso, for Kubo. For this exhibit it is the first time this puppet has been in one piece.
Skeleton puppet used in Kubo and the Two Strings.
Beside this massive creature you can see the puppets of Beetle, Monkey, Kubo, and the Origami Samurai Warrior for reference of size. On the far wall you can see the "Wall of Faces", which features the rapid-prototype face replacement 3-D printing that LAIKA won a scientific and engineering Oscar in 2016 for. This technology, used first in ParaNorman, is astounding to me because each tiny expression and movement of the face is captured in individual faces that LAIKA snaps off and on the puppets to make them seem far more lifelike than other stop-motion animations.
Jaedan looking at Coraline's "Other World" House.
Next we migrated to a room with Coraline's "Other World" House in it. We saw first hand how LAIKA animators could go behind it so they could manipulate the puppets. This was a piece of the actual set! It was like a large doll house and it was intricately designed...all the way down to tiny plants hanging from the porch and lights that actually glow. The attention to detail is mind-boggling!
Back into the skeleton room and through a corridor of Asian art we come to the main LAIKA exhibit. Before you enter it warns, "This exhibition contains a zoetrope that produces a strobing effect and
may trigger visitors with photosensitivity or epilepsy. Staff are happy to direct you to another entrance or answer questions." The room has a darker ambience and there is so much to take in and see. We saw many LAIKA artifacts, including: original sketches, small models called maquettes, puppets, sets, costumes, rigging, storyboards, etc.
Some of the LAIKA sets we saw at the exhibit.
The sets are amazing! As you go in you can see the set of Kubo's childhood home to the left with Beetle and Monkey inside. We saw some of the sets for The BoxTrolls: one scene of the verminator puppets chasing down Eggs and some BoxTrolls in the hill top town of Cheesebridge, Norvenia and another set of the ballroom dance scene. Coraline's Garden set took up almost a whole room by itself and when seen from above you can clearly see Coraline's face in the garden itself. There were also some neat sets from ParaNorman.
Jaedan looking at the Kubo and the Two Strings Giant Eye Monster.
There are also things you can touch and manipulate too! Inside there is a 11 foot Giant Eye Monster from Kubo and the Two Strings that you could go behind to see the robotic framework and then move with the same bowling ball trackball interface that they used to create the underwater scene in Kubo. We also got to manipulate the ocean waves in Kubo which were made out of paper and seemed to topple over each other like a string of dominoes.
Everything had remarkable detail. There are so many teeny-tiny handstitched outfits and props to go with the sets and puppets. These must have taken them so much time and effort to make! All of it is just so intricate and ornate and ultimately makes the films feel even more lifelike.
Snapped a photo of the Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA exhibit banner as we left.
I wish we could have taken more time to explore the Animating Life: The Art, Science, and Wonder of LAIKA exhibit. We enjoyed it all so very much! We had a fabulous time visiting the Portland Art Museum and hope that LAIKA decides to come back there again at some point. I highly recommend to go see the LAIKA exhibit if you can. The last day is the 20th of May!
This exhibit is organized by the Portland Art Museum and the Northwest Film Center in collaboration with LAIKA.
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any compensation for doing this review.
I received two tickets free to facilitate this review.
If you haven't seen Cirque du Soleil you should definitely see at least one of their shows when it comes close to your town. Cirque du Soleil, French for Circus of the Sun, is a Canadian entertainment company that features an acrobatic all human circus. It was founded in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix. It now has 20 productions worldwide in over in over 400 cities, in 60 countries, on 6 continents. These shows are comprised of live musicians, theatrical performers, acrobats, clowns, gymnasts, jugglers, etc.
Cirque du Soleil Crystal is a brand new show that is touring around the globe. Right now Crystal is showing at the Moda Center in Portland Oregon from April 4-8. This is Cirque du Soleil's first ever show on ice which pushes the limits of the performances even further! World class ice skaters along with acrobats do never before seen stunts on their new frozen environment. You will see figure skaters, pair skaters, freelance skaters, and solo skaters all doing what they love and sometimes even more on the ice. Both acrobats and ice skaters had to learn some of each others skills to perform this show.
Crystal is a show about a girl, also named Crystal (played by Nobahar Dadui), that after being ridiculed by her family and friends tries to escape to an icy pond to skate only to fall through the thin ice. As she descends further into the frozen depths she goes into a cold induced dream state and this pushes her into her own self-discovery. In her dream state we see her discovering a newfound ability - writing - and blossoming with her use of it. She explores the new talent and seems to find her voice with both pen and typewriter through the power of her own words.
My husband and I got some pictures taken in front of Cirque backdrops.
My Thoughts:
This was mine and my husband's very first Cirque du Soleil show. We went together to the Moda Center on opening day. We arrived and got our tickets from the box office. There was pretty much no line and it we easily got into the vendor area before finding our seats. We were a little early so we took a bit of time getting some pictures taken in front of the fun backdrops that were provided. Then we found our seats and waited for the show to start.
The pre-show before the first scene was lighthearted and fun. One of Cirque's clowns has a snowball fight with some of the audience. His antics are quite amusing and make us laugh. Also some of the skaters warmed up on the ice doing a few tricks and interacting as if they were on a outdoor ice rink. A live band made up of a violin, guitar, accordion, wind instruments, and tambourine/bells was also playing music nearby the ice. We were glad that we showed up early just to catch this.
The set and ice arena before the program started.
The set was amazing all by itself. It had a kind of ice castle looking structure in the background. I noticed a small train on top that choo-choos by subtly in the beginning of the pre-show. This building structure serves as Crystal's "home" in the show as well as entry and exit points for performers. It also has ramps that looked like skateboard ramps down it on both sides. The ice rink arena came out from this in a half-oval in front. At first they had large metal trees, a park bench that they could sit and put on their skates, and a metal trash can with designs carved out of it that glowed from the inside. The "stage" changed from scene to scene, not only with different props being brought on and off by choreographed performers, but also through intricate lighting that projected onto both the ice surface and facade of the building.
Camilo Motta and Stepan Grytsay play with the music.
The music was fantastic too. Maxim Lepage’s klezmer-infused score is wonderful! The live band playing some along with some parts of the music was a very nice addition. I particularly savored Stepan Grytsay and his violin! He was fabulous! There were different types of music throughout depending upon the mood and theme. They also incorporate some covers of some familiar pop songs that appropriately help set the mood. I especially loved the second act Aerial Strap Pas de Deux routine that was done to Beyoncé's "Halo".
Act One, Tempest Scene: Falling through the ice.
Each scene was told by Crystal's perspective. Act one starts out with Crystal getting chastised by her family, feeling very alone, isolated, and misunderstood she runs off to the ice. The ice fractures and engulfs her. I love the way they show this scene. The cracks and gaping hole are projected onto the ice and when Crystal falls in she is whisked away and lifted into water and bubbles projected onto the building facade. Even though she is actually being brought into the air with tethers, Crystal looks as though she is being drawn into the depths of the water.
Act One, A Day in the Life Scene: flashbacks.
Then we see her watching her life: at home, at school, at play, and in the city flash before her in a distorted, disconnected way. She finally takes control of her self and catches up to her reflection (Madeline Stammen) which helps her navigate through her dream world. I like this scene because of the spinning and twirling of the two together on skates, in instances mirroring one another. Next Crystal finds her talent and celebrates with the juggler, Jorge Petit, in a scene that is high spirited and a lot of fun.
Act One, Reflection Scene.
Act One, Home Swing Scene: Swinging Trapeze.
After this there was a scene with swinging trapeze that I couldn't get over because Crystal was still wearing her ice skates while swinging, flinging her body out up so high, and hanging upside down from it. She was attached with a tether, but no net was below. It was awe inspiring!
Act One, School Playground Scene: Hockey Ramps
I also loved the speed skating hockey players doing crazy jumps, flips, twists, and twirls off of ramps. Then act one was over and it was intermission and we took a break from sitting and bought some mint chocolate Dippin' Dots out in the foyer.
Intermission: We bought some Dippin' Dots ice cream.
Act Two, Poles Scene
In act two we saw the big city in Crystal's imagination. There are a maze of transparent panels that are brought out onto the ice that Crystal skates through to catch up with her alter-ego reflection. Some of the Cirque performers do a pole act that is brand new to Cirque. They swing their bodies around them, jumping from pole to pole, and dismounting with flair. In this act there is also a tap dance on ice skates that I think is pretty impressive. The tap dancers have mics in their skates which amplify the sound while dancing. The fast paced typewriter scene is very well choreographed. I love how they incorporate the sound of the typing with the music.
Act Two, At the Office Scene: Chair balancing act.
There was a dramatic scene with acrobat, Lkhagva-Ochir, that stacks one chair after the other high on a platform and then he does hand stands, balancing on them from the very top.
Act Two, Courtship/Ballroom Scene: Glowing Grand Piano
They also brought out a glowing grand piano that Crystal skated upon while it was played and rolled across the ice. A gorgeous, romantic ballroom scene is after this that features Jérôme Sordillon doing Aerial Strap Pas de Deux with Crystal.
Act Two, Ballroom: Aerial Strap Pas de Deux.
Then the reflection returns and Crystal finally comes to reality. The
contortionist, Emily McCarthy, performs the breathtaking hand-to-trapeze
number with Jack Atherton making us gasp as he takes her and balances
her on just his feet or flips her up into the air from his grasp to
catch the trapeze once again. She is seemingly pulled to the surface by
his hand. Crystal finally breaks through the ice and finds her breath. She is met with her family and people in the community. At the conclusion of the show Crystal skates the words "The End", the projected lines that form the letters follow her skates while she skates across the rink.
The End written in the ice.
This show was exquisite! I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend you seeing it. I am so glad to have been able to share this experience with my husband. It was a much needed date away from everything. I hope to be able to see other Cirque du Soleil shows when they come to town.
Crystal Video:
What: Cirque du Soleil’s “Crystal”
When: Opens 7:30 pm Wednesday, April 4, and continues 7:30 pm April 5-8, at 4 pm April 7, and at 1:30 and 5 pm April 8.
Where: Portland Oregon, Rose Quarter, Moda Center, 1 Center Court.
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received two tickets for free to
facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion
and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other
compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links can be found in this
post. Thank you for your support of this blog!
Brick Fest Live! LEGO Fan Experience is coming to Portland Oregon and I can't wait! My family is planning on going as a fun filled homeschool field trip. I love that LEGO is so educational as well as fun. There is so much going to go on to help entertain all of us while we are there and you can save $3 with the promo code below!
August 19-20 LEGO lovers rejoice! The Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Experience is filled with hands-on attractions and activities built to inspire, educate, and entertain.
DATE AND TIME
Sat, Aug 19, 2017, 9:00 AM - Sun, Aug 20, 2017, 6:00 PM
Portland Expo Center
2060 N Marine Dr
Portland, OR 97217
MY READERS SAVE! Save $3 off tickets with promo code USFGTHREE
Enjoy an amazing LEGO world where you can marvel at giant creations and even build some of your own.
The Brick Fest Live LEGO Fan Experience provides a venue for LEGO lovers of all sizes to celebrate, build new creations, and see some truly mind-blowing LEGO sculptures to help set the imagination free.
Attractions Include:
The Brick Show Experience: Meet popular YouTube LEGO show hosts from The Brick Show and be featured on in an upcoming video.
Brick Fest Derby: Build and race your custom built LEGO derby car down one of our 35-foot long timed tracks!
Collaborative Building Activities: Contribute to large-scale mystery floor mosaic.
Inspiration Stations: Add to existing LEGO cities and make them your own by building custom creations.
Video Game Arena: Have a favorite LEGO video game? Come challenge your family or make new friends in the Brick Fest Gaming Arena playing your favorite LEGO title head to head.
Mini Golf: A miniature golf course built to inspire! Take your game to the next level on the Brick-Links.
Brick Fest Theater Trivia & Entertainment: Participate in LEGO trivia all while taking a break from what will be an overwhelming amount of awesome!
Mosaics: Using a colorful variety of LEGO bricks, build a piece of art to proudly display for other attendees.
Shopping: Find new, vintage, rare, and custom LEGO sets and merchandise from one of the many merchants in attendance.
MY READERS SAVE! Save $3 off tickets with promo code USFGTHREE
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: Because I am posting about the Brick Fest Live! LEGO® Fan Experience I am getting free tickets for my family to go. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com
for providing me this promotion information and free tickets. My
thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered
by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting
this promo.
I have a fun giveaway for my local readers! The Oregon Zoo has provided me with 4 tickets for one of my local readers to visit the Oregon Zoo's annual winter festival, ZooLights, with their family!!
The ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo opens at 5:00 pm nightly from November 25th through January 1st (with the exception of Dec. 24th and 25th!), and runs until 8 or 9 pm, depending on the day. This year, ZooLights visitors will receive reduced admission on Mondays through Thursdays through December 15 (although these value nights end at 8pm instead of 9pm.
This event is a lot of fun and features some really cool light displays for the holiday and winter season. The Zoo is transformed into a fantastic winter wonderland of over a million and a half twinkling lights. You can walk through about 95% of the ZooLights. Don't forget to bring your camera to capture this experience!
They also have a great train ride that goes through the park so you can see light displays that you would not be able to see otherwise. Trains begin running at 4:45 pm and tickets for the ride are $3.50 for members and $4 for all others per person.
Penguins in lights reflected in a fountain during ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo.
Besides your camera, don't forget to bundle up and dress warmly. I would recommend bringing: clothing with layers, warm coats/jackets, gloves/mittens, hats, scarves, thick insulated socks, and comfortable boots/shoes. I am going to be bringing my favorite reusable hand warmers and an umbrella in case it rains the next time I go with my family! You can purchase food, snacks, and drink while you are there and they have hot chocolate to warm you up as well!
ZooLights Admission
Members: Free
Adults (12–64): $14.95, $9.95 on value nights
Seniors (65 and up): $12.95, $7.95 on value nights
Children (3–11): $9.95, $4.95 on value nights
2 and under: Free
Train Admission
Members: an additional $3.50 per person
Others: an additional $4 per person
Schedule
Monday through Thursday through Dec. 15th: gates open 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
All other nights from Nov. 25th through Jan.1st: gates open 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WIN IT Prize: Win 4 Oregon Zoo ZooLights Tickets. (please don't enter unless you know you will be able to go)
Winner will be notified via Crystal of Eccentric Eclectic Woman. Upon
confirmation, tickets will be placed in will call at the zoo under the
winner’s name. Tickets are valid for one-time use from completion of
contest through the last night of ZooLights (January 1, 2017). Value of
four tickets is $59.80.
I run giveaways with Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I have been given an opportunity to giveaway 4 free tickets to the Oregon Zoo ZooLights. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion
and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other
compensation for doing this post.
The 20th Annual Spring Garden Fair is happening on Saturday, April 30, 2016. It will be held at the St. Helen's High School Commons
located at 2375 Gable Road, St. Helen's Oregon, 97051.
Dozens of local vendors will offer annuals, trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables, ceramics, trellises, garden art, herbs, containers, hanging baskets and more.
Certified Master Gardener's will offer 5,000 tomatoes in over 30 varieties for only $1.50 per plant; tomato and general gardening information, raffle tickets, hourly prizes and displays.
Raffle tickets are on sale now for $1 each from many Master Gardener's.
Free parking - please carpool
Free admission - ATM on site - shop indoors and out
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Incredible Edibles Plant Sale is also happening Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 10am til 4pm. It will be held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church on 1624 NE Hancock Street, Portland Oregon, 97212 (between 16th and 17th Avenue).
This FREE event is a great opportunity to buy organic herb and veggie starts for your home garden so you can harvest nutritious, fresh-picked goodness for your table! You’ll find both heirlooms and hybrids among our proven varieties of
tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, squash, greens, lettuces, herbs and
more.
‘Get the Real Dirt’ from OSU Extension trained Master Gardener Volunteers who will be on site to answer your gardening questions.
Plant. Grow. Eat. workshops (Scheduled throughout the day)....
10:30 am - “Kale-palooza!” Learn some great tasty, simple ways to use the nutritional iron horse of the garden…kale! Plus see a chiffonade demo so you too can master the technique at home. Presenter: Greg Sweeting, Chef, OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.
11:30 am - “Tips for the Beginning Veggie Gardener” A great workshop for those you know who are
beginning gardeners. They will learn tips and tricks on how to “get
growing” with their very own vegetable garden. They will learn just how
easy it is to have nutritious veggies to harvest. Presenter: Susan
Ristau, OSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.
12:30 pm - “Eat What You Grow” The joy of simple preparations for
your homegrown edibles. When your produce and herbs are this fresh it’s a
delight to create simple meals with them at the center of the plate.
Presenter: Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have.
1:30 pm - “Bountiful Berries” Learn all the steps needed to harvest a
bounty of berries in your garden from an expert home grower.
Strawberries, blues, Marion, and raspberries! Oh my! Presenter: Bob
Deultgen, OSU Extension Master Gardener.
2:30 pm -
“Delectable Ways to Enjoy Your Bounty” Get inspiration on how to utilize
your bountiful veggie harvest with quick, delectable preparations.
Presenter: Joe Hickey, Chef, Noble Rot.
Kids Grow...
Drop by the Kids Grow station and discover incredible garden science with hands-on activities for the kids.
Brought to you by the Multnomah County Master Gardeners.
OTHER PLANT SALES COMING UP IN OREGON BY COUNTY & DATE:
Lane: April 30th, 9am - 3pm, Lane County Fairgrounds (Eugene)
Jackson: April 30th, 9am - 5pm and May 1st, 10am - 4pm (many plant vendors), Jackson County Expo (Central Point)
Clackamas: April 30th, 9am - 5pm and May 1, 9am - 4pm (lots of plant vendors), Clackamas County Event Center (Canby)
Polk: May 6th and 7th, 9am - 4pm, Polk County Fairgrounds (Rickreall)
Hood River: May 7th, 9am - 1pm, OSU Extension Service Office at 2990 Experiment Station Drive (Hood River)
Wasco: May 7th, 9am - 2pm, City Park (The Dalles)
Douglas: May 7th, 9am - 4pm (many plant vendors), Douglas County Fairgrounds (Roseburg)
Benton: May 7th, 9am - 2pm, Benton County Fairgrounds (Corvallis)
Tillamook: May 7th, 9am - 2pm, Tillamook County Fairgrounds (Tillamook)
Curry: May 14th, 10am-7pm at the High School (Gold Beach)
Clatsop: May 14th, 8:30am - 2pm (garden vendors and seminar), Clatsop County Fairgrounds (Astoria)
Lincoln: May 31, 9am-2pm, Newport National Guard Armory (Newport)
OF NOTE: If these are too far from you, try your local Master Gardeners and see if there is a plant sale in your area. Many of them are happening this weekend! Just do a search by county and state or call your local Department of Agriculture Extension Office for more information. You might also find a website or newsletter you can join for your county
chapter to get information on other plant sales, events, and classes.
You too can become a Master Gardener, just call your local extension
office to find out more information. Also if you live in Oregon, here is
the Oregon Master Gardeners Website
to look up the chapter in your neck of the woods. The chapter meetings
are open to all, not just members, and they usually have an interesting
speaker to listen to and learn from.
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received this information and images for this post. My thoughts are mine and my
family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I am a OSU Columbia County Master Gardener and wanted to share this information with my readers.
There are 1 billion organisms in every pinch of soil?
There are 22 thousand different soil types?
Mollisols are the most productive soil on the planet?
Legumes like fava beans are nitrogen fixing for the soil and are a great cover crop if you need that nutrient?
Like your veggie garden you should rotate cover crops too?
Some slugs and snails pollinate some plants?
Slug/snail slime absorbs 40-100 times its volume in water and therefore the best way to get it off your skin is actually using dirt?
90% of flowering plant reproduction depends upon pollinators?
There are over 4000 different species of native bees, 600-800 live in Oregon?
70% native bees nest in the ground and need bare dirt?
Native plants are 4 times more likely to attract pollinators?
The best worms to use for vermicompost and a worm bin is the red wiggler or Eisenia fetida?
The ideal conditions for the worms in vermiculture is keeping them in a shallow bin with air holes and drainage holes in 59-77 degree temperature, 75% moisture, slightly acid PH, lots of oxygen, grit for their digestion, and their favorite compostable foods added?
I learned all this and more at Soil School, which is offered every year in Portland Oregon for farmers with small farms, landscapers, gardeners, grounds managers and anyone else who wants to improve their soil. I learned about it through my Master Gardeners Program. It is a jam packed learning day with a complimentary breakfast, snacks, and lunch. It costs $30 for a single person and $50 for two people.
This year it was held at the Portland Community College Rock Creek Event Center on April 16th, 2016 from 8am-3:30pm. My husband and I signed up. We all where treated to the "not to be missed" key note speaker, James "Dr. Soil" Cassidy who taught all about, yes you guessed it, SOIL! Then we broke up into our various classes of which we had to pick 4 each out of the 12 offered.
I took Using Cover Crops, Slugs & Snails, Planting for Pollinators, and Vermiculture. My husband, Brian, took Soil Testing & Analysis, Irrigation, Invasive Weed I.D. and Organic Weed Control. Then after we compared notes and I brought home a lot of printed information, a lawn sign and some other cool swag. We had a lot of fun and learned a bunch! Brian also won a door prize at the end which was a boot brush and scraper combo! We can definitely use that on our farm!
I received a Love Bottle free to facilitate this review.
The Love Bottle
is a 500 ml, reusable glass water bottle that is both eco-friendly and
better for you than plastic! Love Bottle's new American made bottle is different than
most designs I have seen. The lids are made out of lead free ceramics,
food grade silicone, and stainless steel wire which creates the
swing-top mechanism. The bottles which are made of 40% recycled glass
are sleek and tapered to fit in a standard cup holder well. They
each have a raised heart on the neck of the bottle, a UR Loved logo
on the bottle of the bottle, and a new dual color heart printed on the
lid. These are 100% locally sourced and manufactured by Owens Illinois (O-I) in the USA.
These new Love Bottles are very aesthetically pleasing. These bottles are more than just a beautiful bottle for drinking water from. It is also all about the message of spreading love as well. The message is strengthened by designs on the bottles that inspire us to love our: community, planet, body, and voice. With every sip from the glass bottle you can peek at the bottom to see the special message of UR Loved fused into the glass.
There are 8 new printed designs that were brought about because of their recently funded Kickstarter Campaign, for bringing production to America, which are:
Mountain Air (says 'Love Our Mountains' with orange valleys and brown & grey mountains)
Wild & Free (says 'Love Our Forests' with green trees)
Summer Breeze (says 'Love Our Waters' with blue waves and red fish)
Honey (honey bees & honey comb)
Love Seattle (Seattle Washington scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
Love Portland (Portland Oregon scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
Love New York (New York City scene, Home Is Where The Heart Is design)
Big City Living (city within a
heart scene)
Among the other USA made designs are:
Believe (inspiring words, like believe and faith)
Elegance (a white lacy heart with birds hearts and flowers inside)
Ocean Blue (a blue whale and a sailboat)
Quiet Pond (koi fish in golden yellow and lotus flower in red with green leaves)
Shallow Stream (heron like bird and fish in green)
There are also two brand new designs for the holidays:
Peace (says 'peace' with a globe and leafy branches above all in blue and a white dove on the other side)
Family (fuzzy family of Polar Bears bundled with red winter scarves and the words 'family').
Honey design and Love Bottle
I love my two new Love Bottles! I picked out the Honey one from being a backer for their Kickstarter campaign and the Love Portland one for a review. The Honey one I love because I love sweet Honey Bees! They are my favorite pollinators besides hummingbirds. I love the Love Portland bottle because its design is so reminiscent of the local landmarks: The KOIN Tower, The US Bank Tower, The White Stag sign and building, and the OHSU Tram. I love Portland and I am glad I am so close to this wonderful city!
Love Portland design and Love Bottle
These new Love Bottles are easy to use and fill and they don't leak when the swing-top lid is shut correctly. They are great for bringing on trips and you can get bands for them so that they have more grip and protection. I also love that these are BPA free and dishwasher safe, although I would recommend hand-washing. The messages of the designs are so inspirational too.
BUY IT Purchase these Love Bottles for $25 online. $1 from every bottle sold goes to a charity that needs your love.Love Bottles make great gifts for the holidays!
DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my
family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not
receive any other compensation for doing this review.
